ST. PAUL, Minn. – The University of Minnesota Morris softball team was swept in a UMAC doubleheader by the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Thursday at the West St. Paul Dome. The Yellowjackets took advantage of seven Cougar defensive errors in the two games to come away with 17-2 and 5-2 victories over UMN Morris. The Cougars drop to 8-15 (5-5 UMAC) on the season.

Minnesota Morris is back home on April 19, hosting Martin Luther College in a doubleheader beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Game One: UW-Superior 17, Minnesota Morris 2 (5 innings)
The opening game on Thursday was decided by the end of the first inning as UW-Superior exploded for 10 runs on 11 hits to start the day. Though a Cougar error in the inning didn't help the cause, it was much more the offensive dominance of the Yellowjackets that was the story of the first contest. 

UW-Superior tacked on another three runs in the bottom of the third to take a 13-0 lead. Minnesota Morris got on the board with a double steal in the top of the fourth in which Mollie Dummer came home after Jasmine Jensen took second. 

The Yellowjackets then scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as the Cougars committed three errors. That left the score at 17-1 heading to the top of the fifth. Minnesota Morris pushed one more run across with a double from Tori Nichols-Kraft, leading to a RBI single from Marissa Allen to score pinch-runner Allison Pohlmann. It was a case of too little, too late for the Cougars, however, as UW-Superior nailed down the run-rule victory.

Nichols-Kraft was charged with the loss in the circle. Other than the double for Nichols-Kraft and the single from Allen, hits in the game came from Olivia Diver, Dummer, Autumn Theis, and Jensen.

Game Two: UW-Superior 5, Minnesota Morris 2
Dummer pitched a complete game for Minnesota Morris in game two, but five runs in the second inning for UW-Superior proved to be the difference.

In the bottom of the second, the first three UW-Superior batters all reached via an error, setting up an inning in which every run scored was unearned. The big blow came with two outs in the inning when Tiffany Kirk launched a bases-clearing triple to turn a 2-0 lead into a 5-0 cushion. 

Both Dummer and UW-Superior pitching Allison Luoma got into a groove after that, giving up very little to either offense. The game would remain 5-0 in favor of the Yellowjackets all the way until the top of the seventh. In the final turn at the plate for the Cougar offense, Allen led off with a double before making way for pinch-runner Carly Mahoney. Dummer then singled to keep things moving. With one out, Theis singled in the first Cougar run and Brenna Mahoney then collected a RBI with a sac bunt to make it 5-2. The game ended on a sharp lineout off the bat of Anna Athey right back at Luoma to clinch the win for the Yellowjackets.

Minnesota Morris actually out hit UW-Superior in the game, 5-4. Besides the hits from Allen, Dummer, and Theis, the Cougars also had knocks from Lizzy Hanson and Athey. Dummer took the loss to go to 6-6 on the season, striking out five in 6.0 innings.